by Liz Ewing

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros return to the scene with their second album. Here doesn’t seem to match the energy and fullness of Up From Below, the Zeros’ highly successful debut record; at times, it seems like we’re waiting for a crescendo that never fully comes.

‘Man On Fire’, for example, takes its time to layer up, proving to be a far mellower track than the anthemic ‘Home’, which broke the band onto the scene three years ago.

Then again, Here is certainly not at a loss for this. It still embodies the optimistic, free-spiritedness that drew us to the Zeros back in 2009. In ‘That’s Whats Up’ and ‘I Don’t Wanna Pray’, the slightly more upbeat tracks of the record, Ebert salutes to the old American folk classics.

Stylistically, the bands seem to take a step back in time; one can envisage these tunes crackling from an old radio on a creaky, sleepy, southern-state porch. Plus, rumour has it that Ebert and the gang intend to release a bouncier, chirpier album later in the year, making this a mellower introduction, or ‘part one’ of sorts. Exciting news!

While Here doesn’t boast the joyous and euphoric anthems we’ve heard from the Zeros before, all in all, this is a sweet little album, which works as a satisfying follow up to Up From Below; the perfect soundtrack to a sleepy summer’s evening.

Man On Fire by Edward Sharpe Mag Zeros

4.5/5